Why I Love Office Supplies…and Other Strange Afflictions

I haven’t done this in 4 days although it was my intention to write every day in November. That being said, I thought I would explore my love of office supplies and other reasons I could be crazy 🙂

Sometime in the eighth grade I wanted to stand out. I read a lot of Babysitters Club books, and I desperately wanted to be Stacy. I wanted to be fashionable and different like she was in the books. Yes, she is the one with diabetes, but overlook that and she’s the cool girl from New York City. Mind you when I was 13 I lived way outside of Nashville Tennessee.

I was seriously not cool (see Babysitter’s Club at 13 above.) There happened to be a girl in my grade that was known for being that unique and different someone. We were never friends, and I did not even really talk to her.Her parents were artists and former hippies. Everyone seemed to act like if it was going to be , what we would now call, trending, this girl was going to start it.

Although we were not on the same page for anything, I was desperate to have that status. I wanted to be “trending.” So, I bought a terrible pair of striped pants. I never wore them. A fact that infuriated my mother, but it was the early 90’s and you can only imagine the ugliness of these pants.

Then there were these pens. Lisa Frank had these Art Deco Pens that wrote in cool colors. In eighth grade, we could write in pen for the first time, and I was going to have the coolest pens, I was going to have  the colored paper, and I was going to have a Trapper Keeper that expressed my inner unicorn waiting to get out. Yes, I just said Lisa Frank and unicorn.

I was young and terribly naive to the world. I was bright and caught on quick, but terribly innocent.We were leveled off academically and I was in the high group. I would talk to anyone and everyone and had friends in the lower groups. Friends who were doing things that the Babysitter’s club did not. Those books were my reference for responsibility, and before being different, I wanted to be responsible and practical. After all, there were pregnant girls in seventh grade, and I knew how that happened. There was drug use going on with people I knew. Simple little me believed that the way to my being a unique individual was reading books and having cool Lisa Frank ink pens. These pens (and the books I read) protected me from the scary world.

Even in college, yes I said college, I had a hot pink furry binder. It alone attracted more attention than I did and was a conversation piece. Maybe I can’t say I’m creative and awesome with my clothes and certainly not my hair, but I can get your attention with a crazy binder or a bright shiny pen. So, even today if I find an office supply that is unique I have to have it.

When times get tough as an adult, I go back to those pens, and hold on to them. I write with their colorful ink. I love these items.They remind me of playtime and a time when I cared more about having unique stuff than being interesting myself. It also reminds me of how scary that 13 year-old world was, and that I got through.Today it seems there are few problems I have that a proper pen and paper cannot fix (maybe a book too)

Happy Halloween

In my 36 years, I have no really bad memories of Halloween. I might have a few hazy memories, and some things in my mind were not as they were, but memories thinking back were all good.

Starting about when I was 5, my mom would take me to the fabric store and I would excitedly thumb through pattern books to find that awesome costume that she would make. I had many elaborate ideas that would look nice, but not quite perfect. I held the belief for many years that you were to make a creative costume. I am sure my stepdaughter (who was a vampire every year before Twilight) would agree, I kind of find things around the house and make it work (I think I’m wearing my bathrobe tonight.)

Anyway, when I was young we would go to the mall in Oklahoma City. I am guessing because it was inside, everyone gave out candy, and one stop shopping so to speak. We would go to a McDonald’s that had a playground people advertise as being a death trap these days. I was always excited, and don’t remember this ever being a bad or disappointing experience.

We were not allowed to dress up in elementary school, so I didn’t get that experience until I moved to Tennessee in 5th grade, and by then 11 is too old to dress up, so that was the only year. Still I tried year after year to have a unique awesome costume. Store bought for a long time was a big No No.

Halloween is the beginning of the giving season. I have not always given candy, and I have never had to clean up eggs or toilet paper on November 1st. Some people may give out of fear, but I think those that give candy have fond memories, like to see the costumes, and overall think it’s fun. There are no obligations…knock on a door with a light on get candy. Leave the dark houses alone.

Halloween for me, is better than the two holidays that follow because the pressure is off. I remember tense Thanksgivings where the expectations to travel to family were high. You never have time. People gossiped about who so-and-so brought to dinner, and the food is bland or blah. I had a relative die on Christmas. It made it hard to really get excited about that anniversary. However, on Halloween I get to see littles get candy and get excited like I used to.

Through the years I have heard people say they don’t participate because of the scary premises. Religious groups will have carnivals ect.  I say there is not a holiday that expresses more religious values of many religions than the day where you knock on strangers doors and they give you something expecting (maybe some hoping) for nothing in return. Isn’t acceptance about realizing the “scary” is not so bad?

I know this is a bit scatological, but I am trying to write essays for NANAMO.

New Thing in 2014- 8 weeks in

So the last 8 weeks I have not had my husband at home. I’m not going to tell the exact details but he has been training in another city and he will be home for this week. I have not been single with kids, nor do I wish to be. Nineteen has been good about taking care of Three when I have to escape, but I will be happy to have him back.

This week I made Korean beef barbecue in the slow cooker.  I used the Campbell’s Slow Cooker Sauce and then made fried rice.

The last two weeks

I haven’t died…just have been away from a platform that I can post.
Let’s see…I posted about carpet so new things :
We went over to Young Chef’s academy for a birthday party.
We saw the Lego movie.
I tried the two for at Schlotsky’s for Valentine’s day.
I had some car repairs done and I am slowly realizing how ill I think of my vehicle.
I am also starting to get a scrapbook page set up each moth so it am not overwhelmed when I try to scrapbook ( or give up with shoe boxes of crazy). Maybe the new thing I do next Wednesday is post on time.

Carpet cleaning and other fun and excitement

This week I worked to get very tough stains out of the carpet. 

I consulted a couple tried and true sites: This Old House and Real Simple. Then I thought it might be oil based and burnt the carpet with the iron (which by the way does not come out). Then I thought I had heard about baking soda and peroxide (which I later remembered was toothpaste), It actually worked on whitening my carpet, so I guess that was my new thing this week. 

 

1/12-1/23- More than a week

New things I did this week (er…week and a half):

I bought a new coat from Aeropostale ( Think this might be the first thing I have bought from them in 10 years as I am not 15)

 

I went on an Advocare cleanse. It was interesting. I lost a few pounds. I’m not sure how much it may have cleansed, but weight loss is always good.

On Friday, I called an agent friend and thought about selling my house. As this is our first home, this is a new thing, a very scary thing actually.

1/3-1/11

On the shower…I guess.

Try a New Thing Every Week in ’14

So I’m driving today thinking of all the things I want to do. I want to try this restaurant and that. I want to buy something a thrift store and revitalize it. I need to take the GRE. I have all these “resolutions”

Sure, I’m like the rest. I need to lose 15-20 pounds, at least. I would like to read more. However, ever year, I don’t make resolutions because I break them. I don’t resolve to resolve and that’s my resolve.

For instance, I decided I would diet. Yesterday, I ate a banana for breakfast. At lunch, I ate soup. I never eat soup. I went through all this internal dialog about how I was going to start eating soup for lunch (this is before the microwave was done). It’s 100 calories and if I eat 100 calories a day for lunch I would be so thin. It was going to be my daily goal. I hate soup. I was hungry at 2:00. So then I snack. I am not a regular snacker, so this is not good. Then at dinner I stuffed myself.

I am going to be soooo skinny.

Back to today, I decided to resolve to “try a new thing every week in 14.” Sure I want to be skinny, but I have forty million other things I want to do. So I’m going to try to blog about it every week. We’ll see how this works out.

School Supplies: Spreadsheet 8/25

The students start on Monday. Are you ready?

This girl is so me right now 🙂

Product	New Ads	Also found at (Best price this year)	Last year(2011) best price
Paper/Notebook
Filler paper 150 ct	$.85 Staples 8/25	$.01 Staples 8/4	$.01 Staples w/ $5 purchase 8/5x 7/17
One Subject notebook	$.01 Office Depot 8/18	$.01 Office MAx 8/4 Staples 8/11	$.01 Staples 8/19
Composition Book 70p	$.01 Office Max 8/25	$.10 Staples 8/18	Free w/ $5 Office Max 8/5$.25 Office Depot 7/29
Copy Paper	$.01 w/ Max Perks  Office Max 8/25	Free w/ coupon Staples 7/28$.01 Office Max w/ Maxperks,& Staples w/rebate 7/7 & 7/28	$.01 Office Max
Coloring
Generic Crayons 24pk		$.25 Office Depot & Target 8/4	$.05 Office Max 8/5
Rose Art Crayons 24pk			$.01 Staples **7/8
Crayola Crayons 24 pk	$.99 Walgreens 8/18	$.50 Office Max 7/14	$.29 Kroger 7/22
Crayola Markers	$.75 Staples 8/25	$.99 Target 7/7 &8/4 Walgreens 7/21	$.75 Staples 8/5
Rose Art Markers/Other Generic Markers	$.50 Wal-Mart EDLP		$.49 Target 8/5$.50 Walmart
Sharpies	$1/5pk Staples 8/25 $1.47 3 pk Walmart 8/25 $.25 Office Max 8/25	.25 2pk Staples 7/21
Colored Pencils (generic)	$.25 Office Max 8/25	$.69 w/ coupon Walgreens 8/11	$.25 Office Max 8/12
Colored Pencils (Crayola)		$.50 Target 8/4
Other
Folders 2 pocket with brads	$.01 Staples 8/25 &Office Depot 8/25	$.01 Office Max 7/7& 7/28 Office Depot 8/11	$.01 staples and office depot 7/29Free Office Max 7/8
Pencils 10 pk	$.01 Staples 8/25	.01 Office Max 7/14& 7/21	Free w/ $5 Office Max 7/22
Mechanical Pencils	$.50 Staples 8/25	$Free w/ rebate Staples 8/18 $.25 Staples 8/4	Bic Free w/ rebate Staples 7/15
Papermate Pens	$.49 Walgreens 8/18	$.10 Office Max 8/4	$.10 Office max
Bic Pens	Free w/ rebate Staples 8/25	$.01 Staples 7/7	$.01 Staples 7/10
Generic Pens		Free w/ Rebate Pentel Staples 8/4$.25 Office Depot 8/4	$.25 Office Max 7/15Pentel Free w/ rebate Staples 7/22
Dry Erase Markers (Expo)		$.50 Office Depot 8/11	$1 Office Max 7/8$.50 Fine pt Bic 7/8
Scissors	$.50 Staples 8/18	$.01 Office Max 7/28	$.25 Office Depot 8/19
Elmers Glue Stick	$.25 Walmart EDLP	$1.99 10pk Kroger 7/21$.99 6pk Target 7/21	$.10 EDLP Walmart 7/15
Generic Glue Stick		$.01Office Max 7/21	$.25 Office Max 7/8 Target 7/15
Three ring binders (floppy plastic)		$.50 Office Max 8/4 &Office Depot 8/11	$.75 Staples 8/5$.50 Office Depot
Three ring binders	$1 Office Depot 8/18	$.99 Avery Target 8/4	$.75 Staples 8/5$.50 Office Depot
Zipper bags		$.01 Office Depot 8/4	$.50 Office Max 7/15
Mini- stapler			$1 Staples 7/10/11-not listed 2012
Handheld pencil sharpener		$.25 Office Depot 7/14	$.10 Office Depot ; $.39 Walgreens 7/15
Cap erasers 10 ct	$.01 Staples 8/25	$.01 Staples 7/7	Free w/ $5 purchase Office Max 7/29$.01 Staples 7/22
Compass		$.50 Office Depot 8/11	$.25 Office Depot 8/19
Slide school boxes	$.01 Office Depot 8/25	$.01 Office Max 7/28	$.01 Office Depot
Plastic school boxes		$.50 Staples 7/28 &8/11& Target 8/4	$.50 Staples$.49 Target 8/5
Rulers	$.50 Staples 8/25	$$.01 Office Depot 8/18.	$.01 Office Depot
Glue	$.39 Walgreens 8/18	$.01 Office Max 7/7Staples 7/28	$.01 (generic) Staples
Index Cards	$..01 Staples 8/25	$.01 Staples 7/7&7/21	$.01 Staples
Pink Erasers (2pk)	3/$1 Walgreens 8/18$.50 Staples 8/18	4/$1 w/ coupon Walgreens 7/21& 8/4	$.20 Target
Book Covers		$.50 Office Depot& Target 8/4	$.25 Office Depot
Highlighters	$1 5/pk Staples 8/25	Free w/ coupon Office Max 7/28	$.15 mini Walgreen’s 7/29$.50 Staples7/22

Other Deals (Websites):

Academy- 7.99 backpacks, 9.99 backpcks, $8.99 Uniform shorts, $11.99 Uniform pants, $5.99 Polos, $3.99-5.99 T-shirts and shorts

Big lots–  $9.84 lamps,$49.99 tablet,

CVS–

Mardel–

Michael’s–

The Knack

Office Depot-2/$5 Colored paper

OfficeMax –  $429.00 touch screen laptop

Staples- $.25 dividers, $249.99 Toshiba Laptop,

Target –

Link to Target’s Educational Support Page

Toys R US-  Buy 1 get 1free Crayola, Free lunch kit with backpack, Buy 1 get 1 Crayola, Thermos, Stationary,

Wal-Mart–

Walgreens-Bogo binders, $3.99 Backpacks, $.49 sheet protectors and dividers,

School Supplies: Spreadsheet 8/18

download free binder templates from Mardell.com. If you like that sort of thing.

School starts next week for me, and only one week left for the students. I assume that stores will only be doing doorbusters for about two weeks.

Product	New Ads	Also found at (Best price this year)	Last year(2011) best price
Paper/Notebook
Filler paper 150 ct		$.01 Staples 8/4	$.01 Staples w/ $5 purchase 8/5x 7/17
One Subject notebook	$.01 Office Depot 8/18	$.01 Office MAx 8/4 Staples 8/11	$.01 Staples 8/19
Composition Book 70p	$.10 Staples 8/18	$.25 Poly Cover Staples 7/21 Office Depot 7/28	Free w/ $5 Office Max 8/5$.25 Office Depot 7/29
Copy Paper		Free w/ coupon Staples 7/28$.01 Office Max w/ Maxperks,& Staples w/rebate 7/7 & 7/28	$.01 Office Max
Coloring
Generic Crayons 24pk		$.25 Office Depot & Target 8/4	$.05 Office Max 8/5
Rose Art Crayons 24pk			$.01 Staples **7/8
Crayola Crayons 24 pk	$.99 Walgreens 8/18	$.50 Office Max 7/14	$.29 Kroger 7/22
Crayola Markers		$.99 Target 7/7 &8/4 Walgreens 7/21	$.75 Staples 8/5
Rose Art Markers/Other Generic Markers	$.50 Wal-Mart EDLP		$.49 Target 8/5$.50 Walmart
Sharpies	$.39 Walgreens 8/18	.25 2pk Staples 7/21
Colored Pencils (generic)	$1 Staples 8/18	$.69 w/ coupon Walgreens 8/11	$.25 Office Max 8/12
Colored Pencils (Crayola)		$.50 Target 8/4
Other
Folders 2 pocket with brads		$.01 Office Max 7/7& 7/28 Office Depot 8/11	$.01 staples and office depot 7/29Free Office Max 7/8
Pencils 10 pk	$.39 Walgreens 8/18	.01 Office Max 7/14& 7/21	Free w/ $5 Office Max 7/22
Mechanical Pencils	$.79 Walgreens 8/18Free w/ rebate Staples 8/18	$.25 Staples 8/4$.50 Office Max 8/4	Bic Free w/ rebate Staples 7/15
Papermate Pens	$.49 Walgreens 8/18	$.10 Office Max 8/4	$.10 Office max
Bic Pens	$.50 Staples 8/18	$.01 Staples 7/7	$.01 Staples 7/10
Generic Pens		Free w/ Rebate Pentel Staples 8/4$.25 Office Depot 8/4	$.25 Office Max 7/15Pentel Free w/ rebate Staples 7/22
Dry Erase Markers (Expo)		$.50 Office Depot 8/11	$1 Office Max 7/8$.50 Fine pt Bic 7/8
Scissors	$.50 Staples 8/18	$.01 Office Max 7/28	$.25 Office Depot 8/19
Elmers Glue Stick	$.25 Walmart EDLP	$1.99 10pk Kroger 7/21$.99 6pk Target 7/21	$.10 EDLP Walmart 7/15
Generic Glue Stick		$.01Office Max 7/21	$.25 Office Max 7/8 Target 7/15
Three ring binders (floppy plastic)		$.50 Office Max 8/4 &Office Depot 8/11	$.75 Staples 8/5$.50 Office Depot
Three ring binders	$1 Office Depot 8/18	$.99 Avery Target 8/4	$.75 Staples 8/5$.50 Office Depot
Zipper bags		$.01 Office Depot 8/4	$.50 Office Max 7/15
Mini- stapler			$1 Staples 7/10/11-not listed 2012
Handheld pencil sharpener		$.25 Office Depot 7/14	$.10 Office Depot ; $.39 Walgreens 7/15
Cap erasers 10 ct	3/$1 w/coupon Walgreens 8/18	$.01 Staples 7/7	Free w/ $5 purchase Office Max 7/29$.01 Staples 7/22
Compass		$.50 Office Depot 8/11	$.25 Office Depot 8/19
Slide school boxes		$.01 Office Max 7/28	$.01 Office Depot
Plastic school boxes		$.50 Staples 7/28 &8/11& Target 8/4	$.50 Staples$.49 Target 8/5
Rulers	$.01 Office Depot 8/18$,19 Walgreens 8/18	$.25 Office Depot 7/28	$.01 Office Depot
Glue	$.39 Walgreens 8/18	$.01 Office Max 7/7Staples 7/28	$.01 (generic) Staples
Index Cards	$.39 Walgreens 8/18	$.01 Staples 7/7&7/21	$.01 Staples
Pink Erasers (2pk)	3/$1 Walgreens 8/18$.50 Staples 8/18	4/$1 w/ coupon Walgreens 7/21& 8/4	$.20 Target
Book Covers		$.50 Office Depot& Target 8/4	$.25 Office Depot
Highlighters	$.19 Walgreens 8/18	Free w/ coupon Office Max 7/28	$.15 mini Walgreen’s 7/29$.50 Staples7/22

Other Deals (Websites):

Academy- 7.99 backpacks, 9.99 backpcks, $8.99 Uniform shorts, $11.99 Uniform pants, $5.99 Polos, $3.99-5.99 T-shirts and shorts

Big lots–  $9.84 lamps,$49.99 tablet,

CVS– BOGO deals on paper, pens, paper: $5 gift card w/ marked school supply purchase of $20 or more,

Mardel– $5Banners, Buy two get 1 motivational posters, , and free notebook printables from their website

Michael’s–  BOGO prismacolor, text 40% off single item coupon (you can print from the link or show on your phone), 45% off art supplies,

The Knack

Office Depot-$279.99 Toshiba Laptop, $2 scotch masking tape, BOGO Bic and Crayola, $64.99 Apex tablet,

OfficeMax –  $299.99Gateway laptop

Staples- $2 graph paper,

Target – $3 storeage crates, $9.99 drawers, $4.99 56 qut tote,

Link to Target’s Educational Support Page

Toys R US-  Buy 1 get 1free Crayola, Free lunch kit with backpack, Buy 1 get 1 Crayola, Thermos, Stationary,

Wal-Mart– $3.88 Bath towel, $90 TI 84 calculator,

Walgreens-Bogo binders, $3.99 Backpacks, $.49 sheet protectors and dividers,